Stephanie places at Pan Am Championships

Stephanie Hata, 16, and Sayaka Matsumoto, 18, both took medals at the Pan American Judo Union Jr. Championships, held in Acapulco, Mexico.

Hata, the defending champion and a senior at El Cerrito High School, lost a first round match to eventual winner Brazil, but came back to win her next two in the round robin to claim a silver medal. She adds this medal to her gold medal wins this year in the U.S. Senior and Youth National Championships.

Matsumoto, a freshman at UC Berkeley, won her first match handily against Nicaragua, but lost in the semi-finals against Brazil by a penalty difference. Her bronze medal match was a walk as her opponent was disqualified.

Both Hata and Matsumoto turn their attention to the US Open, which occurs in October in Las Vegas.

The East Bay Judo Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching of Kodokan Judo. Classes are held Mondays through Saturdays, and are taught by Dr. David Matsumoto. For more information on class schedules, contact the EBJI at 510-237-0607 or visit their website at www.ebji.org.